Safety cut-off.



R. H( COWDRBY.

SAFETY GUT-OFF.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.30,1911.

Patented J an. 27, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

www5/4( R. H. GOWDRBY.

SAFETY CUT-OFF.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 30, 1911 Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

STATES FAENT tlttliFltUhll ROBERT H. COW'DBEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY CUT-OFF.

` usctul improvements in `S'atetv (lut-Oils. ot

which the 'following a specification.

Vthis invention relates to improvements in atl-ty cut-ot`t devices.inirticularly adapted,

though not necessarily limited in its use. to

automatically stop or check the tlow of gas p` ing therethrough, and oneof the objects oi the present invention is to provide an improved.simple, durable and cl cap device ot cl ss which is adapted to beautomatii-allv actuated by an abnormal tlow or moveieiit the iiuid'contradistinguished from pressure. and which actuation would not hereliable it' the pressure is depended upon, inasmuch as the pressurevaries considerable and at almost any moment; a further object being theprovision of means whereby the device may be positively and ci nuallyactuated at will to stop or check the flow.

further object is the provision of an impr ved device ot' this class.having means whereby the device may he adjusted or set to meet thevarying conditions in the rate ot tlow or' the fluid found in differentlocalities and when ditlerent styles of meters are employed.

4To the attaiiiment of these ends and the accomplishnients oit other newand useful objects, as will api ear, the invention consists in thetentures of novelty in substantially the eonstruction, combination andarrangement oi' the several parts hereinafter more Ahilly described andclaimed, and shown in the the aeconipanying drawings illustrating anexample the invention, and in which- Figure l is a vertical sectionalview of an improved (device of this class constructed in accordance withthe principles of this invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. lwith the protecting casing removed; Fig l-is a side elevation of the camand stop for limiting the openingY movement of the valve and by means ofwhich the valve may be positively and manually closed; F ig. -t is afront elevation orp Fig. 8; Fig. 5 is a view partly in elevation andpartly in section, showing the manner in which an improved device ofthis class may be installed and the mechanism for manually operating thevalve; t5 is a view partly in eleval ,fifi ffl-5. Speccation of LettersPatent.

Application filed October 30,1911.

Patented Jan. 2", Il 91st.

serial No. 657,601.

tion and partly in section and with parts removed showing the operatinghandle and its connection l for ma nually opera ting thc valve; Fig. Tis a view similar to Fig. l showing a portion of the closure for thecasv ing in which the operating mechanism is located. and the operatinghandle showing the parts in another position Ytrom that shown in Fig. o;Fig. S is a sectional view on line 8--S Fig. G; Fig. 9 is a plan view ofthe valve seat; Fig. l is a detail view showing another connectionbetween the operating mechanism and the cam.

This improved device is adapted to be located at any point in thcservice pipe. but preferably in close proximity to the gas main valveand at a point where access may be readily had thereto.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, the valve casing ispreferably constructed of two sections, lil-16, detachahly securedtogether by suitable fastening devices 1T. The section l5 is providedwith au oifset portion 18 which has communication with the valve chamber19, the wall of which latter is shaped to permit a tree movement ot' thevalve. The section 16 is pio vided with a chamber 20. which communicateswith the olsct portion 18, and also an outlet chamber Q1 whichcommunicates with the valve chamber 19. The fluid enters the valvechamber l) through thesupply pipe 22. which has comniunication with thevalve chamber and tlows out or' the casing 15 through the outlet pipeL3. which latter has communication with the outlet chamber 21. A valveseat designated generally by the reference number Qi, (see particularlyFig. 9) is detachably connected, preferably at the inner face of thesection 1G by means of suitable fastening devices 25, so that when thesection 16 is removed from the section l5, access may bc readily had tothe valve seat. This valve scat is preferably provided with projectingcars or lugs 26 which extend into the oli'set portion 1S, and hetweenwhich ears or lugs the valve 27 is pivotally mounted as at Q8.' moves inthe valve chamber 19 toward and away from the valve seat Q4, and isprovided.

with a counter-weight Q9, which latter is of a weight a little lessthanthe weight of the alve 2T on the opposite side of the pivot 2S, sothat the normal tendency of the valve 27 will be to move away from thevalve seat 24 to open the valve This valve 27 The valve being pivotallyconnected tothe valve seat, and the valve seat itself being detachablyconnected with the section 16 of the valve casing,l it will be manifestthat when the section 16 is detached, the valve .seat 24and the valve 27together with the countenweight 29, will'also be removed, and byinverting the section thus removed, access may be readily had to thevvalve seat and the valve Without dismantling all of the other parts ofthe mechanism. In order to limit the opening movement of the valve 27, astop is provided which is preferably in the form of a cam having a camface 31. This stop 30 is provided with an axle 32 rotatably mounted in asuitable bearing which is provided with packing 33 to form a fluid tightjoint. The stop is located in close proximity to the valve so that whenit is in itsl open position, it will engage 4the cam face 3l, and Whenthe stop is rotated by ro- 'tating its axle 32, the cam face 31 Will beadjusted to present different portions to the valve and the degree ofthe opening movement of :the valve will consequently be controlled bythe position of the cam Jtace with respect to the valve.

The stop 30 may be adjusted in any suitable manner preferably by meansof a lever 34 which is connected with the axle 32 or" the stop on theoutside of the valve casing.

This lever is of some Width and is providedY With a series' of aperturesor openings 35 therein adapted to receive a stop lug 36, which lugcoperates With the stop 37. When it is desired to adjust the stop 30,the stop lug 36 is placed in the proper opening 35, according to theposition in Whichv it is desired to maintain the valve 27, and the stopwill be held in its adjusted position by Jhe errigagement of the stoplug 36 with the As indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, the

A iiuid enters the device through the supply pipe 22 and finds its Wayout through the service pipe 23, and the valve 27 Will normally rest inan open position against the stop 30. The degree of the opening movementof the valve 27 may be varied, as has before been stated by the positioninto which the stop 30 has been previously adjusted, the valve beingheld open under normal conditions by the preponderance of Weight of thevalve 27 over the Weight 29. It will therefore be seen that the easeWith Which Vthe valve 27 is closed or operated by the flow of Huidthrough the device, will depend upon the angle that the valve assumeswhen normally at rest, against the stop 30, and by used to limit thedegree of opening movement of the valve 27 only at the time that thedevice is installed. As the gas passes,

through the device under normal conditions, the valve 27 will not beaffected, but, however, when an abnormal flow of the duidY takes placeat the discharge side of the de vlce, the valve 27 will beautomatically,

closed or moved by such abnormal ioW against its valveseat 24 and Willthen be retained in its closed position by reason of the incomingpressure of the gas. Wien the leak or abnormal flow in the outlet pipeis stopped, the valve 27 will automatically resume its normal position.AThisis due to restoration of the pressure on thejoutlet side of thevalve which may be accomplished by admitting fluid to that side ofthevalve, until the pressure thereon is equalized.

In order that the valve 27 may be operated under normal conditions atythe Will or the Qperator, that is, when the pipes on the out-1 let sideare intact or s nearly intact that the flow of gas is not sufficient tooperate the valve 27, the stop 30 may be employed and is adapted to berotated in its bearing by the operation of the lever 34 in a direc-Ytion to cause the high portion of the cam face 31 to ride against thevalve 27 and thereby force it closed, and to rest against thevalve tohold it closed. In order to accomplish this, there is provided at'anyconvenientpoint, an operating handle 38,Which is connected with a shaft39 journaled in the Walls of a housing designated generally by thereference numeral 40. This shaft 39 has a crank arm 4l which isconnected by means of a link 42 with a slide or bar 43 movable in aguidewav 44 Within the housing. This slide passes through an opening inthe bottom of the housing and through a tubular member or vguide 45, andis connected to the lever 34 by means of a link 46 which is pivotallyconnected by one extremity to the slide or bar v43 and by its otherextremity to the lever 34, so that whenv the handle 38 is moved into theposition shown in Fi 7, the crank arm 41 will through the nie ium of thelink 42, move the slide or bar 43 in the guide 44 to shift the latterwhich will draw upon the link 46 to swing the lever 34,

in order to arrest the parts when they do asi sume this position, a stop47 is provided within the housing 40 against which the crank arm 4l Willabut.

In order to prevent any strain on the parts which might be occasioned byexerting a pi'e'terabltv in the form of an elastic member or eoil springwhich is interposed in the length of the shde and 1s connected by eachextremity vv1tl1 the slide. ln Fig. l0 there 1s shown a modified form ofyielding section and in this torni, one. ,extremity o the elastic v lsaid arlnating' member and handle, the

ineinber LS is connected by means of a ilexi l l i ible connection llisuch as cable, or the like.

ivih the respective sections of the Slide or i :i .1 L 1 Y oar lo. AlterLilie. i alve nas once been closed 1n 'his nainner. that 1s, manuallyvthe ,pu tion ot the handle 38. 1n order to re-sei open. the operatormust first return ndle l5 to its normal position and then the lever tielback to the position 1n n the ha adpist which the Stop hn order to i:oteet the lever 3l and to prevent nnanth `1 ned intererenoet-heroni'ilh, e stop lng 38 and oueed Within a removable the tubularprojection 5l that extends tarn; opening in a portion of erasing, and'cli fastening "Mary to remove before the eino'ed. l/itli this improvedifest that the stop )loved for two purposes, to walling the degree oiopening lie valve 2? and also as a nnaliy and positively closing' azienthe duid is passing device under normal conditions holding the valvecloned. lt .vill t that. ready access may be ntl to valve Seat as well eKali." chamber 19 by dei/ieee t7 which will .ion l@ together with .fdthe valve, to be readily 1., willbeto i .v ie:

Class deeoribed, the ving an inletI and adaptedto be abnormal flow Y USLpoaitively close 'a stop :'30 so as to permit the valve :2T toeonniotion, Aci the easing n by any suitable tastemng;

padlock. vvliioh engages an i the eaoing for o' will engage the StopIii.

i l l 2. In a device of the class described, the combination ot' aeasing havingr an inlet and an outlet, aI lreel'v movable valve in the'asing adapted lo automatic-all)v respond to an abnormal flow of luid toclose the outlet, an independent adjustable ram within the ing adaptedto engage the valve to positively rlose the latter, an exterioractuating me1nber tor said rain. an operating,r handle and a linkhavingl pivotal ronneetions with the points otl pivotal eoninetions oit`the linh with the member and handle being` adapted to be brought into asubstantially stri ight line when the valve is closed to lorlt the partsin such position.

23. ln a devire ot the lass described, the combination oif a easinghaving an inlet and an outlet. a lreelv-movable valvein the ras ineradapted to be artuated aulomati 'ally by an abnormal lion' ol tluid loclose the outlet` a eam independent oi lthe valve within the easingadapted to engage the valve to positively close. the latter. anactuating member for said am, means lor adjusting l@aid aetnating memberand the cam to variv the position ot' said valve. an operating` h-.indliand a link having` pivotal connect-ions with said artuatingr member andhandle. the points ol pivotal connections ot' the linlt with the memberIand the handle beinel adapted lo be brought'into a substantialhystraight line when the valve is closed to loria the parte in suchposition. said artuating member having a yielding portion.

l. lin a device ot lhal rlass desrribed, the combination of a easinghaving`l an inlet and an outlet. a ti'eel'v movable valve in the Casingadapted to b arl'uated bv an abnormal tlouv ot' lluid to close theoutlet, a rain in said easing' for positioning' said valve to regulatethe degree ol' responsiveness ot' said valve and vonstilutiner a stoptor holding ilul valve in its adjusted .position without interlrrinowith its automati(i operation. an' arm on the outside nl' said easiinronnerled to Said cani. t'or artuatina' it lo nuwhanieallv close thevalve. means cooperating with Said arm for-predeterminine its positionso that it ma)Y be aetilated repeatedlvv .viihout disturbing' itsadjustment. a remoteli` positioned operating; devire. ronnerlions al;-taehrd lo said devire and said arm whereby said valvi` may beinerhanirallv rlosed b v said devire at a distanre l'rom the valve.

i?. In a deviee ol the rlass described. the Combination ol a valvvlcasing having` inlet and outlet ports. a t'reelv n'iovable valve pivotedin said easing: and arranged to respond to an abnormal loiv ot' fluidand close said outlet port. a cam in said casing for positioning saidvalve to regulate the degree of responsivenese ot' said valve andoonstituting a stop for holding the valve in its adjusted positionwithout interfering with jnsting said outer device so that it may itsautomatic operation, an arm on the outside of said casing connected tosaid cam for actuating it to vmechanically closev the valve, and meanscooperating with said arm for pre-determining its position so that itmay be actuated repeatedly without disturbing its adjustment.

G. In a device of the class described, the combination of sectionalcasing having inlet and outlet port-s, a t'reclyn'iovable valve pivotalysuspended within said casing and arranged to automatically respond to anabnormal fion* of Huid. a device within said casing' but independent ofthe vvalve for positioning the valve to adjust its sensitive4 ness andfor holding it in its adjusted position 'without intelierinv with itsautomatic operation, a device on the outside of said casing' connectedto said inner device for actuating said inner device to mechanicallyclose the valve instantly. and means t'or adrcturn to its pre-adjustedcondition each time' after the valve is mechanically closed.

7. in a device of the class described, the combination of a chamberedcasing having an inlet and an outlet, a freely movable valve positionedin said casing to close the outlet port and sensitive to an abnormalvflow of duid, and mechanism independent ot said valve for adjusting itsdegree of sensitiveness and for mechanically closing the said valve atwill, said mechanism comprising an adjustable device Within the casingagainst which the valve rests in its adjusted position, a device on theoutside-of saidcasing connected .to said inner device for actuating Saidinner device to move the valve i to a closed position, and means on theoutl eration thereof without altering the adjustfV nient.

9. ln a device of the class described, the combination ot' acasingh'aving an inlet and an outlet, a valve inthe casing adapted tobe'autoniatically actuated by an abnormal (ioiv of Huid to close theoutlet, independent adjustable means within the casing adapted toposition the valve for automatic operation and to engage the valve topositively close the latter, a remote and manually operable actuatingmember for said independent means, and connections between the saidactuating member and said means, whereby the valve may be positivelyclosed repeatedly without disturbing the adjustment of said means.

In testimony `whereof l have signed my name to this specication, in thepresence or" two subscribing Witnesses, on this 27th day of Octobery D.1911.

ROBERT H. CWDREY.

